Protective equipment

ABSTRACT

Protective equipment comprising: a shock-absorbing liner, the shock absorbing liner comprising one or more cavities; and a fitting liner for mounting the equipment to a wearer, said fitting liner arranged between the wearer and the shock-absorbing liner and configured to move relative to the shock-absorbing liner during an impact; an attachment means attaching the fitting liner to the rest of the helmet, the attachment means being attached to the rest of the helmet within one of the cavities of the shock absorbing liner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/034,290, filed Jun. 3, 2020, titled “BIOMIMETIC PROTECTIVE HELMET”, the disclosure of which is included herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Helmets are regarded as crucial safety equipment for many activities such as cycling, skiing, hockey, football, rock climbing, construction, military, or other helmet required activities. Most helmet standards only require helmets to be tested and certified for protection against skull fracture. However, increasing awareness in recent years about other types of head injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulted in a demand for helmets with better protection against TBI, mild TBI, and concussion. To reduce the risk of TBI, a helmet must effectively reduce linear acceleration, rotational acceleration, and rotational velocity of the head during impact.

Rotational acceleration and rotational velocity previously were absent in helmet designs, and helmets were mostly designed, tested, and certified for linear acceleration only. However, research studies in recent years have shown that rotational acceleration and velocity of the head are the key factors behind head injury and concussion.

Therefore, in addition to the linear acceleration, helmets need to be designed to mitigate the rotational acceleration and velocity of the head during impact.

Another issue in helmet design is the bottom-out phenomenon that results in a significant increase in the amount of acceleration the head experiences during impact. Normally, the bottom-out phenomenon occurs when the shock-absorbing liner of a helmet is no longer able to absorb shock or impact force applied to the helmet. The bottom-out phenomenon can be triggered at different amounts of applied forces depending on the material and structure of the shock-absorbing liner of the helmet.

Comfort is an important factor when designing a helmet. The interior surface of a helmet must be comfortable for the head and accommodating for connecting the fitting liner fasteners to the shock-absorbing liner. By increasing the porosity or using thin-walled collapsible structures in the structure of the shock-absorbing liner the helmet becomes less comfortable and installation of the fitting liner fastener becomes challenging.

As a result, using a high porosity structure in the shock-absorbing liner of helmets is not common or it is very restricted and helmet designs are limited to the designs with high density and low macro-porosity. Such designs contribute to underperforming and bottoming out at a lower force, and consequently, more impact force transfers to the wearer's head during impact.

Another issue is that most helmets, due to their rigid interior foam, don't deform enough to allow a finite relative motion between the head and the interior of a helmet during impact to reduce the rotational acceleration of the head. The excessive rigidity of the helmet does not improve its performance and results in more rotational and linear forces transferred to the head. Therefore, a helmet needs to be sufficiently rigid, and any additional rigidity can result in lower performance, higher weight, and more material used in the manufacturing of the helmet.

Helmets normally don't provide a controlled environment in terms of friction between the head and the helmet. This can result in a high friction force between the head and the helmet during impact.

Consequently, the rotational forces applied to a helmet mostly transfer to the head and result in severe head injury.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

According to an aspect of the disclosure there is provided protective equipment comprising: a shock-absorbing liner, the shock absorbing liner comprising one or more cavities; and a fitting liner for mounting the equipment to a wearer, said fitting liner arranged between the wearer and the shock-absorbing liner and configured to move relative to the shock-absorbing liner during an impact; and an attachment means attaching the fitting liner to the rest of the helmet, the attachment means being attached to the rest of the helmet within one of the cavities of the shock absorbing liner.

Optionally, the attachment means is attached to a lateral surface of the cavity that does not face the wearer.

Optionally, the attachment means is attached to a bottom surface of the cavity that faces the wearer.

Optionally, the attachment means is attached directly to the shock-absorbing liner within the cavity.

Optionally, the equipment comprises an inner casing, said inner casing covering an external surface of the shock-absorbing liner facing the wearer. Optionally, the inner casing reduces the friction between the fitting liner of the helmet and the shock-absorbing liner.

Optionally, the inner casing additionally covers at least a portion an internal surface of the shock-absorbing layer within the one or more cavities. Optionally, wherein the attachment means is attached directly to the inner casing within the cavity. Optionally, the attachment means is connected to a lateral surface of the inner casing that does not face the wearer. Optionally, the attachment means is attached to a bottom surface of the inner casing facing the wearer.

Optionally, the attachment means is attached to the fitting liner through an opening of the inner casing.

Optionally, the one or more cavities form vents in the protective equipment for providing ventilation.

Optionally, the attachment means is a hook-and-loop fastener, pin or rivet.

Optionally, the equipment further comprises an outer shell, lined by the shock-absorbing liner.

Optionally, the protective equipment is a helmet.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided protective equipment comprising: a shock-absorbing liner, the shock-absorbing liner comprising one or more cavities; an inner casing, said inner casing attached to and covering an external surface of the shock-absorbing liner facing the wearer, and wherein the inner casing conceals the one or more cavities.

Optionally, a contact area between the external surface of the shock-absorbing liner facing the wearer and the inner casing is smaller than the surface area of the inner casing facing the shock-absorbing liner.

Optionally, the inner casing additionally covers at least a portion an internal surface of the shock-absorbing layer within the one or more cavities.

Optionally, the shock absorbing liner comprises one or more of a micro-cavity structure, a macro-cavity structure, open-cavities, closed-cavities, channels, a thin walled structure, a truss structure, an auxetic structure, an uneven or jagged surface, a foam structure, collapsible structures, honeycomb structures, gas-filled compartments.

Optionally, the protective equipment is a helmet.

In an aspect, the present disclosure defines a novel structure of a protective helmet that comprises an outer shell, shock-absorbing liner, inner casing, fitting liner, a particular placement of the attachment of the fitting liner to the rest of the protective helmet. The placement of the fitting liner's attachment is learned from how insects such as bees hold on to a surface.

The fitting liner is attached to at one or more locations to a Prime Surface such that it allows the fitting liner and the head to better move relative to the rest of the helmet which reduces the rotational and linear acceleration of the head during impact.

Prime Surface is a surface of the protective helmet that the fitting liner is attached to such that the wearer's head does not come into contact with at least a portion of the fitting liner that is coupled to a protective helmet.

Prime Surfaces of the helmet are any surface of the outer shell, shock-absorbing liner, inner casing, or adjustment mechanism that is not facing the head, or is facing the head but cannot be in contact with the head during normal use of a protective helmet.

BeeConnect Feature is a method of coupling a portion or all of the fitting liner to the Prime Surfaces of a protective helmet to allow a better movement of the head and the fitting liner relative to the protective helmet during an impact.

BeeConnect Feature is learned from nature (biomimicry) where bees or other insects hold on to a surface by their legs extending from the two sides of their thorax. Such an attachment configuration enhances the relative motion between the shock-absorbing liner or the inner casing and the fitting liner and the head. The embodiment can reduce the rotational and linear forces applied to the head, and consequently reduce the risk of head injury and concussion.

In one embodiment, (BeeConnect Feature) the fitting liner is attached to the Prime Surface of the helmet such that the portion of the fitting liner that is attached to the attachment means of the fitting liner does not come into contact with the head during normal use of the helmet.

The inner casing is added to the interior of the helmet and it is placed adjacent to the shock-absorbing liner and is fixedly attached to the shock-absorbing liner or around its perimeters. The inner casing reduces the friction between the fitting liner of the helmet and the shock-absorbing liner and consequently reduces the friction force between the head and the helmet during an impact. The inner casing also allows shock absorbers with higher porosity and a variety of structures to be used in helmet design without compromising the comfort or safety of the wearer's head. This gives more freedom for designing the structure of the shock-absorbing liner under the inner casing. Moreover, in an aspect the present disclosure allows the contact area of the shock-absorbing liner and the inner casing to be smaller than the surface area of the inner casing which results in enhancing the helmet ability in reducing the rotational and linear acceleration of the head.

In one embodiment, the shock-absorbing liner includes micro-porosity, macro-porosity, thin-walled structure, truss structure, lattice structure, auxetic structure, channelled structure, cavity, high porosity, or any other uneven surfaces that are not comfortable for being directly in contact with the head.

In one embodiment, coupling the fitting liner to a Prime Surface of a helmet allows the fitting liner and the wearer's head to better move relative to the rest of the helmet during an impact.

In one embodiment, the BeeConnect Feature of the fitting liner improves the relative motion of the fitting liner and the wearer's head relative to the rest of the protective helmet during an impact.

In one embodiment, the inner casing provides a low friction surface for the fitting liner and the head to move relative to the shock-absorbing liner during an impact.

In one embodiment, the inner casing improves the motion of the fitting liner and the wearer's head relative to the rest of the protective helmet during an impact.

In one embodiment, the reduction of the contact area between the shock-absorbing liner and the inner casing improves the collapsibility and deformation of the shock-absorbing liner and consequently enhances the impact-dampening ability of the helmet.

In an embodiment, the inner casing allows sensors, electronics, lights, wire connections, batteries, circuit boards, or any other conceivable accessories for a helmet to be placed entirely or partially under the inner casing.

In one embodiment, the inner casing or part of the inner casing is detachable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects of the present disclosure will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a helmet in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure that the fitting liner is equipped with the BeeConnect Feature and the inner casing is fixedly attached to the shock-absorbing liner.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a helmet in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure that the fitting liner is equipped with the BeeConnect Feature, and the inner casing is fixedly attached to a shock-absorbing liner that comprises cavity or porosity and is covered by the inner casing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set out below in connection with the included sketches, where like numerals reference like elements, is intended as a description of various embodiments of the claimed subject matter and is not intended to represent the only embodiments. Each embodiment described for this invention is given only as an example or illustration and should not be construed as precluding other embodiments. Any reference to a direction is specific only to the diagram, to further the clarity of the explanation, not to limit the actual use of the invention in that direction. The intention for the illustrated examples is not to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms shown.

In the following section, specific details are explained to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to one familiar with the art that the embodiments shown may be realized without embodying every specific detail. The embodiments of the present invention may also employ any combination of features described below.

The following description provides several illustrations of a protective helmet or its structure comprises of a fitting liner equipped with the BeeConnect Feature, an inner casing that placed on the shock-absorbing liner, and an outer shell.

The BeeConnect Feature uses the Prime Surface to allow the fitting liner and the wearer's head to better move relative to the rest of the protective helmet during an impact.

In conventional helmets, the fitting liner is only designed for comfort and it is not designed to enhance the protection of the helmet. The attachment means of the fitting liner in conventional helmets are not mainly placed on the Prime Surfaces of the helmet. As a result, the fitting liner and the head are unable to move effectively relative to the rest of the helmet during an impact, and most of the rotational forces will be transferred to the head.

By adding the Beeconnect Feature and the inner casing, the fitting liner and the head can effectively move relative to the rest of the helmet during an impact and consequently, the design enhances the protection of the helmet.

Moreover, in an aspect, the contact area between the shock-absorbing liner and the inner casing is smaller than the inner casing surface area. As described further in, when protective equipment such as a helmet equipped with the BeeConnect Feature and the inner casing and is impacted by a force, two mechanisms will enhance the helmet performance: 1) the movement of the fitting liner and the wearer's head relative to the rest of the helmet, 2)a collapsible or deformable structure or any other types of structures under the inner casing deform or compress to reduce the impact force applied to the helmet.

Inclusion of the inner casing underneath of the fitting liner allows the design of the structure of the shock-absorbing liner to be independent of design limitations such as surface friction, comfort or fitting liner installation, accessory installation, the durability of the helmet components, airflow, and noise inside a helmet. Most shock-absorbing liners result in a high-friction interaction with the fitting liner which results in increasing the rotational forces applied to the head during impact.

The inner casing reduces the friction between the fitting liner and the shock-absorbing liner, and consequently, the head experiences less rotational forces during an impact. The inner casing allows a better distribution of the force on the shock-absorbing liner which improves the overall performance of the helmet in reducing the linear and rotational acceleration and the rotational velocity of the head during impact. In addition, the BeeConnect Feature benefits from the inner casing as it provides a surface for the fitting liner and the head to better move relative to the rest of the helmet reducing the rotational and linear force applied to the head.

This results in a helmet structure that is more efficient in reducing the shock or impact exerted on the helmet. Using shock-absorbing liner with a smaller contact area between the inner casing and the shock-absorbing liner can result in an increase in absorption of the impact force applied to the helmet. When highly porous structures are used as the shock-absorbing liner between the inner casing and the outer shell of the helmets, it becomes more lightweight and has better collapsibility and deformation characteristic which can be directly translated to better performance for the helmet in protecting the head.

Modern helmets are more and more getting equipped with accessories such as sensors, lights, electronic systems, positioning systems, cameras, and other technology-based accessories. In the conventional helmets, embedding such accessories and their parts such as a battery, circuit board, and wiring can be challenging. Using the inner casing in conjunction with the shock-absorbing liner allows the entire or parts of the accessory to be placed under the inner casing. Using a detachable inner casing that can be removed partially or entirely allows the parts to be placed or removed from under the inner casing. The removed part of the inner casing can be placed back to be fixedly attached to the rest of the inner casing, the shock-absorbing liner, the outer shell or their perimeters by means of mechanical or chemical attachments.

In conventional helmets using structures with a small contacting surface area for the shock-absorbing liner such as thin-wall structures, lattice, auxetic, cavities to collapse and deform better during impact cannot be easily achieved particularly for helmets made of foams such as Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), expanded polylactic acid (EPA), or plastic structures, as they can be fragile or brittle. Such structures can be uncomfortable for being in contact with the head and they can be unsafe as they may result in injuries such as skin or scalp laceration during impact. In addition, structures with pointy, open macro-cavities, and uneven contact areas can make installation of other accessories such as fitting liner (fitpad/padding), retention system, and adjustment devices challenging. Using an inner casing on the top of the shock-absorbing liner can protect the structures of the shock-absorbing liner from unnecessary damages during normal use and creates a surface for installing the accessories over or under the inner casing and installing the fitting liner.

One of the most reported failures in the helmet industry is the hook-and-loop fastener (Velcro) failure, due to poor bonding between the Velcro's adhesive and the foam such as EPS. Using a high-quality adhesive does not entirely resolve the issue, as in many cases using high-quality adhesive can result in the separation of a fine layer of the EPS from the surface of the EPS foam with the adhesive, and consequently, it results in failure of the attachment means. This issue can be resolved by using an inner casing made of plastic or other compatible material with the adhesive of the Velcro or other means of attachment such as rivets, mechanical inserts, buttons, and pins which are coupled with the inner casing.

In one embodiment, the inner casing underneath of the fitting liner allows the structure of the shock-absorber to be independently chosen and optimized based on the required shock-absorbing ability and results in more diversity in selecting shock-absorbing materials and structures and improvement in both linear and rotational acceleration reduction capability of a helmet. The most commonly used material in helmet shock-absorbing liner is the EPS foam because the EPS foam is very cost-effective, lightweight and mouldable. An inner casing allows changing the density of the EPS or EPA foam. For example, it is possible to use EPS foams with a lower density or more macro-porosity as the inner casing allows the impacting force to be spread on a larger area and enhances the foam shock-absorbing ability. This results in lighter helmets with better shock-absorbing ability.

In one embodiment, by using an inner casing, it is possible to introduce other shock-absorbing structures such as a truss, hexagonal, channelled-structure, gas-filled compartment, lattice, thin-walled structure, auxetic, collapsible geometries or a combination of them in a helmet. Using the inner casing allows shock-absorbing liners to be partially foam, and partially other types of shock-absorbing materials such as collapsible structures, thin-walled structures, lattice, truss, and gas compartment. By using the inner casing, customized helmet parts can be made by additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing and customized for the wearer's requirements.

While the following description includes a description of a new structure for helmets that includes the BeeConnect Feature and an inner casing integrated into a helmet, the BeeConnect Feature and the inner casing described here can be integrated into other protective equipment configured to be worn on the head, neck, torso, knee, elbow, back, shoulder, hip, leg, arm, or other means used for protection.

In most impact scenarios fitting liner of the conventional helmets may move finitely from its original location during an impact. However, in most cases, the attachment means of the fitting liner are not located on the Primes Surfaces of the helmet. As a result, the fitting liner and the head cannot move sufficiently to reduce the rotational acceleration of the head considerably. The inner casing and the BeeConnect Feature of the fitting liner enhance the motion of the head relative to the shock-absorbing liner.

The fitting liner is made of layers of one or more materials laminated, adhered, sewn together to bring comfort to the wearer's head.

In one embodiment, the fitting liner comprises one or more layers of fabrics, foam, plastic or leathers or other common materials used for the fitting liner of helmets.

In one embodiment, the BeeConnect Feature of the invention allows the fitting liner not only to provide comfort to the wearer's head but also to enhance the protection of the helmet.

In one embodiment, the fitting liner is padding or fitpad and it comprises a fleece fabric that is Velcro-receptive, a low-density foam, and a fabric or leather that is laminated, adhered, and then heat-sealed, high-frequency welded, sewn, or cut.

The coefficient of friction between shock-absorbing liners such as EPS foams and fitting liners or head is generally high, particularly when a compressional force due to an impact is present. The inner casing provides a surface that reduces the friction and as a result, when accompanied with the BeeConnect Feature the fitting liner and the head experiences a lower rotational force.

The BeeConnect Feature is learned from nature (biomimicry) where bees or other insects hold on to a surface by their legs extending from the two sides of their thorax. Such an attachment configuration enhances the relative motion between the shock-absorbing liner or the inner casing and the fitting liner and the head. The embodiment can reduce the rotational and linear forces applied to the head, and consequently reduce the risk of head injury and concussion.

In one embodiment, the fitting liner can be configured to attach to the Prime Surface of the inner casing, shock-absorbing liner, the outer shell, adjustment means of a helmet, or other components of the helmet such that the attached portion of the fitting liner to the attachment means does not come into contact with the head during normal use.

The word “portion” in the context used for the fitting liner throughout the description and claims refers to a segment, slice or part of the fitting liner and comprises both the top surface and the bottom surface of the referred portion of the fitting liner.

In one embodiment, the Prime Surface is selected from any surface of the protective helmet that is not facing the head. This allows the attachment means of the BeeConnect Feature to be placed on and coupled to a surface of the helmet that does not come into contact with at least a portion of the fitting liner that is coupled to the attachment means of the fitting liner. An example of such surfaces is the lateral surface of a raised section of the interior of a helmet mainly known as ribs. The top surface of the rib is mostly facing the head, but the side of the rib is not facing the head which makes it a Prime Surface and suitable for the BeeConnect Feature.

In one embodiment, the Prime Surface is selected from any surface of the protective helmet that is facing the head but does not come in contact with the head when a helmet is worn. Such surfaces are including depressed surfaces, curved down surfaces, sunken surfaces, concave surfaces which allow the attachment means of the BeeConnect Feature to be placed on and coupled to a surface of the helmet that does not come into contact with at least a portion of the fitting liner that is coupled to the attachment means of the fitting liner. An example of such surfaces is the bottom surface of the deep channels that are usually made next to the raised ribs inside a helmet. The bottom surface is facing the head but due to its depressed and concave shape, the head does not come into contact with the surface during normal use.

The surface of the inner casing that faces the wearer's head can be selected to have a low friction characteristic to allow a better dislocation of the fitting liner (fitpad) on the inner casing or move of the head on the inner casing to further help the head to have a finite motion relative to the helmet during impact.

The finite motion of the head and the fitting liner relative to the helmet and deformation of the shock-absorbing liner of the helmet improve the helmet performance in mitigating linear acceleration, rotational acceleration and rotational velocity of the head during impact.

One of the benefits of having an outer shell for a helmet is to spread the impacting force on a larger area of the outwardly surface of the shock-absorbing liner, which reduces the localization of the deformation of the shock-absorbing liner and consequently improves helmet performance. The same way adding an inner casing reduces the localization of the deformation of the area of the shock-absorbing liner that the head is impacted on the inwardly surface of the shock-absorbing liner during impact.

In one embodiment, the inner casing enhances helmet performance by reducing the localization of the deformation of the shock-absorbing liner by spreading the force on a larger area of the shock-absorbing liner where it directly or indirectly contacts the head during impact.

In one embodiment, the inner casing enhances the helmet's integrity and reinforces the structure of the helmet.

In an embodiment, the inner casing conceals the shock-absorbing liner that comprises of collapsible/deformable structure that at one end is attached to the outer shell of the helmet and at the other end is attached to the inner casing or around its perimeters.

In an embodiment, the structure made under the inner casing is manufactured and customized using additive manufacturing techniques.

In an embodiment, the fitting liner (fitpad/padding) and other helmet accessories are attached to the inner casing by means of one or more attachment means.

In one embodiment, the fitting liner equipped with the BeeConnect Feature is attached to the shock-absorbing liner, adjustment mechanism, or the outer shell of the helmet at one or more locations.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is made of plastic sheets or other conformable materials and is conformed to conceal a portion or the entire surface of the shock-absorbing liner.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is made of multiple pieces that are attached or detached from each other.

In one embodiment the inner casing is integrated into the structure of the shock-absorbing liner.

In one embodiment, the protective helmet does not include an inner casing and the fitting liner with the BeeConnect Feature is attached to the shock-absorbing liner or the outer shell.

In one embodiment, the outer shell or the inner casing are made of plastic polymers, thermoplastic polymers, organic materials, metal, fibre, polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Kevlar, titanium, or any other common materials used for a helmet.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is attached to the shock-absorbing liner of the helmet at one or more locations or around the perimeters.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is a continuation of the outer shell of the helmet, and the shock-absorbing liner is enclosed between the outer shell and the inner casing.

In one embodiment, the contact area between the outwardly surface of the shock-absorbing liner and outer shell is smaller than the surface area of the outer shell that is facing away from the wearer's head.

This embodiment allows the shock-absorbing material to have more space available for its deformation during impact and can improve helmet performance in reducing the linear and rotational acceleration of the head.

In one embodiment, the outer shell is not a separate part of the helmet and the outer surface of the shock-absorbing liner is considered as the outer shell of the helmet.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is a single piece concealing the surface of the shock-absorbing liner that is facing the wearer's head.

In one embodiment, the deformation of the outer shell, the shock-absorbing liner, and the inner casing are permanent.

In one embodiment, the deformation of the outer shell, the shock-absorbing liner, and the inner casing are temporary, and after the impact, the deformed parts return to their original shapes.

In one embodiment, the inner casing has multiple pieces concealing a portion or the entire surface of the shock-absorbing liner that faces the wearer's head.

In one embodiment, the helmet comprises a fitting liner that is placed on the surface of the inner casing or the shock-absorbing liner or adjustment system to reduce the rotational and linear acceleration of the head by allowing finite motion between the head and the fitting liner and the inner casing and the shock-absorbing liner of the helmet.

In one embodiment, the fitting liner is coupled to the surface of the inner casing, the shock-absorbing liner, adjustment system or the outer shell by means of mechanical or chemical attachment means such as hook-and-loop fastener (Velcro), adhesive, inserts, buckles, pins, rivets, buttons, ties, elastics, or any other ways of fixing the fitting liner to a helmet.

In one embodiment, the attachment of the fitting liner is located on a Prime Surface of the inner casing, shock-absorbing liner, outer shell, or the adjustment system of the helmet.

In one embodiment, the protective helmet includes BeeConnect Feature such that the attachment means of the fitting liner is located on a Prime Surface of the helmet such that the wearer's head does not come into contact with the portion of the fitting liner that is coupled with the attachment means of the fitting liner. The embodiment allows the fitting liner to better move on the surface of the inner casing or the shock-absorbing liner during impact. The finite movement of the fitting liner and the head relative to the rest of the helmet can improve the performance of the helmet in reducing the rotational and linear acceleration of the head during impact.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is made of materials that have shock-absorbing or force-dampening capability.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is made of materials that have minimal or no shock-absorbing capability.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is perforated in one or more locations or has holes or openings on it.

In one embodiment, the inner casing does not hinder the ventilation of the helmet by blocking the vents considered on the outer shell and the shock-absorbing liner of the helmet.

In one embodiment, the inner casing is not perforated and does not have any holes or openings on it.

In one embodiment, the outwardly surface of the shock-absorbing liner that faces away from the wearer's head or inwardly surface that faces the wearer's head or both are covered by a layer of plastic using coating, cured liquid plastic, or co-moulding.

In an aspect, the present disclosure defines a protective helmet that comprises the BeeConnect feature and an inner casing that is added to the interior of a helmet adjacent to the shock-absorbing liner and is attached to the shock-absorbing liner or around its perimeters wherein the contact area between the inner casing and shock-absorbing liner is smaller than the surface area of the inner casing.

In an embodiment, the inner casing provides a surface for placing the attachment means of the fitting liner or other accessories, placing the fitting liner, and attaching the attachment means of the fitting liner to the shock-absorbing liner.

In an embodiment, the inner casing reduces the friction, design limitation such as the comfort of the head, susceptibility to damage and wear during normal use when an impact is not present. Structures of the shock-absorbing liner that comprise porosity, thin-walled design, lattice, auxetic, deep channels, or any uneven surface that is not comfortable for being in contact with the head and fitting liner can have a high coefficient of friction between the fitting liner and such shock-absorbing liners, which an inner casing can reduce or eliminate such issues.

In one embodiment, the inner casing allows the shock-absorbing liner structure to have less restriction from the perspective of design and performance.

In an embodiment, the inner casing enhances shock-absorbing capability by spreading the impacting force on a larger area of the shock-absorbing liner under the inner casing.

In an embodiment, the inner casing improves helmet ergonomics, comfort by offering a surface that allows a larger area of the helmet to be in contact with the head.

In an embodiment, the inner casing by covering the shock-absorbing liner reduces the exposure of the shock-absorbing liner to the elements such as sunlight, heat, cold, moisture, and oxidation and wear-and-tear during the use.

In an embodiment, the inner casing provides a surface for attaching fitting liner or other accessories.

In an embodiment, the inner casing allows the shock-absorbing liner to be designed to reduce the linear and rotational acceleration of the head more effectively due to the fact that the structure of the shock-absorbing liner has less restricting factors regarding the comfort of the wearer's head, accessory placement and attachment, friction with the head and padding, and the durability of the shock-absorbing liner during normal use.

In an embodiment, the inner casing allows sensors, electronics, lights, wire connections, batteries, circuit boards, or any other conceivable accessories for a helmet to be accommodated by using the inner casing.

In one embodiment, the inner casing or parts of the inner casing are detachable.

In one embodiment, the inner casing has a smooth, or textured surface condition.

In one embodiment, the inner casing surface has a low friction characteristic when interacting with the head, headwear, or fitting liner, or other parts of the helmet.

In an embodiment, the surface of the fitting liner that is in contact with shock-absorbing liner or the inner casing has a low-friction characteristic and comprises fleece, fabric, Teflon, wax, or lubricant.

In one embodiment, all the attachments are configured such that the portions of the fitting liner that is attached to the fitting liner attachments means do not come into contact with the head.

In one embodiment, the attachments are configured that the portion of the fitting liner that is attached to the fitting liner attachment means may come into contact with the head.

In one embodiment, the inner casing allows the damaged shock-absorbing liner or other parts of a helmet to be replaced with new parts and reuse the helmet.

In one embodiment, the protected object is other parts of the body and apparel such as headwear, or clothing comprises the inner casing and the BeeConnect Feature of the fitting liner.

In one embodiment, the inner casing eliminates or reduces the design limitations of the shock-absorbing liner such as the comfort of the head, placement of attachment means of the fitting liner or other accessories, placement of accessories or their parts in the helmet, placement of fitting liner, durability, and bonding improvement of the attachment means of the fitting liner and other accessories.

In one embodiment, the inner casing allows the shock-absorbing liner structure to be designed independently from the design limitations named in the previous embodiment.

In an embodiment, the inner casing improves the helmet ergonomic, comfort, and durability by offering a surface that allows a larger contact area between the head and the helmet.

In one embodiment, the inner casing or part of the inner casing is detachable.

Turning to FIG. 1 disclosing an embodiment and shows the side view of helmet 17 including an outer shell 10, outer shell attachment means 28, a shock-absorbing liner 11 that is fixedly attached to the outer shell 10 by the outer shell attachment means 28, the inner casing 12 that is fixedly attached to the shock-absorbing liner 11 or around its perimeters by the inner casing attachment means 13. The contact area is between the shock-absorbing liner 11 and the inner casing 12. The shock-absorbing liner 11 and the inner casing 12 are also in contact with each other by means of the inner casing attachment means 13. As a result, the total contact area between the shock-absorbing liner 11 and the inner casing 12 is the summation of contact area 25 and the area that the inner casing attachment means 13 is attaching the inner casing 12 to the shock-absorbing liner 11.

A helmet normally comprises other parts such as a retention system (chin strap), adjustment mechanism, and other accessories that are not shown for the purpose of keeping the drawings simple and uncluttered. However, such accessories can be considered for the helmet structure disclosed in this invention.

In one embodiment according to FIG. 1, the fitting liner 15 is attached to the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 or the inner casing 12 by means of attachment means 14 and/or attachment means 34. Attachment means 14 is located on the Prime Surface 40 of the helmet that the wearer's head 16 does not come into contact with the portion of the fitting liner 15 that is coupled with the attachment means 14 (BeeConnect Feature). Attachment means 34 is located on a surface that is not a Prime Surface and the wearer's head 16 can come into contact with the portion of the fitting liner 15 that the attachment means 34 is coupled to. The portion of the fitting liner includes multiple surfaces, and the head only needs to be in contact with at least one of the surfaces of the portion to be unqualified for being a Prime Surface.

BeeConnect Feature of the attachment means 14 enhances the movement and dislocation of the fitting liner 15 during an impact which results in the relative motion of the head and the fitting liner compared to the helmet which consequently reduces the rotational and linear acceleration of the head during impact.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, according to the BeeConnect Feature, the attachment means 14 is attached to the Prime Surface 40 of the shock-absorbing liner 11 or the inner casing 12 in a way that the portion of the fitting liner 15 that is attached to the attachment means 14 does not come into contact with the head 16 during normal use of a helmet 17, and the attachment means 14 is attached to the fitting liner 15 through the opening 19 of the inner casing 12 and is located on the shock-absorbing liner 11 or the inner casing 12 close to the vent 18.

In one embodiment, all the attachments are configured similar to the attachment means 14 and are attached to the Prime Surface 40 such that the portion of the fitting liner 15 that is attached to the attachment means 14 does not come into contact with the head 16.

Due to drawing limitations, only one example of the Prime Surface 40 is shown in FIG. 1 which shows the Prime Surface 40 located on the vent 18. However, the Prime Surface 40 can be any surface of the helmet 17 that is either not facing the head or is facing the head but does not come into contact with the head 16 during normal use of the helmet 17.

In conventional helmets, the attachment means of the fitting liner (such as hook-and-loop fastener) are placed similar to the attachment means 34. Attachment means 34 is placed on a surface of the helmet that is not a Prime Surface which means the portion of the fitting liner 15 that is coupled to the attachment means 34 comes into contact with the head 16 during normal use of the helmet 17. This results in significant restriction in the movement of the fitting liner 15 during impact. Consequently, the rotational forces will be mainly transferred to the head and increasing the risk of head injury.

On the other hand, coupling the fitting liner 15 through the attachment means 14 to a Prime Surface 40 does not allow the portion of the fitting liner 15 attached to the attachment means 14 to come into contact with the head 16 during normal use of the helmet 17. Such a configuration results in the fitting liner 15 and the head 16 moving relative to the helmet during an impact. Consequently, the BeeConnect Feature of the fitting liner 15 reduces the transfer of impact force to the head and enhances helmet protection.

In one embodiment, the attachments of the fitting liner 15 to the helmet 17 are a combination of attachment means 14 and attachment means 34.

In one embodiment, the inner casing 12 extends to cover the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 12 around the vent 18 (shown by the vent cover 19 in FIG. 1). The attachment means 14 is attached to the surface area of the vent cover 19 of the inner casing 12 that is concealing the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 and the vent cover 19 is placed adjacent to the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 in the area of the vent 18 without blocking the vent 18.

In one embodiment, the attachment means 14 is located at the Prime Surface 40 of the inner casing 12, shock-absorbing liner 11, outer shell 10 that does not come into contact with the head 16, such surfaces includes any surfaces of helmet 17 that are curved inward and has a concave, sunken or depressed shape and is not only limited to the vent area shown in FIG. 1.

In one embodiment, the attachment means 14 of the fitting liner 15 (BeeConnect Feature) allows and aids a finite movement of the head 16 relative to the protective helmet 17 during an impact. The amount of the finite movement depends on the severity and direction of the impact force to the helmet and the design of the protective helmet 17.

In one embodiment, the inner casing 12 is placed at one or more locations adjacent to the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 without separating from the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11.

In one embodiment, the inner casing 12 is placed at one or more locations adjacent to the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 and the inner casing 12 can separate from the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 at one or more locations.

In one embodiment the inner casing 12 is not blocking the vent 18 of the helmet 17 by having the vent cover 19.

In one embodiment, the inner casing 12 is not blocking the vent 18 and its perimeters, and the inner casing 12 connects to the outer shell 10 of the helmet 17.

In one embodiment the inner casing 12 is a continuous layer that conceals both the outer surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 away from the head 16 and the inner surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 that is facing the head 16.

The shock-absorbing liner 11 can be any shape and form such as having cavities, holes, micro-cavity structure, macro-cavity structure, open-cavities, closed-cavities, channels, thin-walled structure, truss, auxetic structure, uneven or jagged surface, foam structure, collapsible structures, honeycomb structure, gas-filled compartment, air bladders, or a combination thereof and be placed between the inner casing 12 and the outer shell 10.

In one embodiment, the inner casing 12 is part of the shock-absorbing liner 11.

In one embodiment, the fitting liner 15 (BeeConnect Feature) is directly attached to the shock-absorbing liner 11 without a need for the inner casing 12.

Turning to FIG. 2 disclosing an embodiment and shows the side view of helmet 17 including an outer shell 10, outer shell attachment means 28, a shock-absorbing liner 11 that is fixedly attached to the outer shell 10 by the outer shell attachment means 28, an integrated inner casing 12 that is fixedly attached to the shock-absorbing liner 11 or around its perimeters by means of attachments means 13. The contact area 25 is between the shock-absorbing liner 11 and the inner casing 12. The shock-absorbing liner 11 and the inner casing 12 are also in contact with each other by means of the inner casing attachment means of the inner casing attachment means 13. As a result, the total contact area between the shock-absorbing liner 11 and the inner casing 12 is the summation of contact area 25 and the area that the inner casing attachment means 13 is attaching the inner casing 12 to the shock-absorbing liner 11. The hollow space represents the porosity, unevenness and the cavity in the shock-absorbing liner 11 that is located between the inner casing 12 and the outer shell 10.

In one embodiment according to FIG. 2, the fitting liner 15 is attached to the surface of the shock-absorbing liner 11 or the inner casing 12 by means of the attachment means 14 and the attachment means 34. Attachment means 14 is located on the Prime Surface 40 of the helmet 17 that the wearer's head 16 does not come into contact with the portion of the fitting liner 15 that is coupled with the attachment means 14 during normal use. By placing the attachment means 14 away from being in contact with the head 16 through the portion of the fitting liner 15 that is attached to the attachment means 14, the fitting liner 15 can move and dislocate better relative to the inner casing 12 during impact. Using BeeConnect Feature fitting liner 15 reduces the transfer of the rotational and linear forces from the shock-absorbing liner 11 and inner casing 12 to the head 16.

In one embodiment, all the attachment means are configured similar to the attachment means 14 and coupled to a Prime Surface 40 such that the portion of the fitting liner 15 that is attached to the attachment means 14 does not come into contact with the head 16. The referred portion of the fitting liner 15 includes any surface of the portion such as the top and the bottom surface of the portion.

In one embodiment, the attachments are configured similar to attachment 34 such that the portion of the fitting liner 15 that is attached to the attachment 34 may come into contact with the head 16.

In one embodiment, the attachment means of the fitting liner 15 are configured to be a combination of the attachment means 14 and the attachment means 34.

In both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the head 16 is shown such that the head 16 is not in contact with the helmet 17. This is only to unclutter the drawings. In practice, the head 16 can be in contact with parts of helmet 16 such as the fitting liner 15, inner casing 12, the shock-absorbing liner 11, or other accessories such as chin strap or adjustment mechanism that are not shown in the figure to avoid cluttering the figures.

Due to drawing limitations, only one example of the Prime Surface 40 is shown in FIG. 2 which shows the Prime Surface 40 located on the vent 18. However, the Prime Surface 40 can be any surface of the helmet 17 that is either not facing the head or is facing the head but does not come into contact with the head 16 during normal use of the helmet 17.

A simple and practical way of identifying whether or not a surface is a Prime Surface is to imagine wearing a helmet without the fitting liner 15. Any surface of the helmet in absence of the fitting liner 15 that the head 16 cannot come into contact can be considered as a Prime Surface 40.

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

I/we claim:
 1. Protective equipment comprising: a shock-absorbing liner, the shock absorbing liner comprising one or more cavities; and a fitting liner for mounting the equipment to a wearer, said fitting liner arranged between the wearer and the shock-absorbing liner and configured to move relative to the shock-absorbing liner during an impact; an attachment means attaching the fitting liner to the rest of the helmet, the attachment means being attached to the rest of the helmet within one of the cavities of the shock absorbing liner.
 2. The protective equipment of claim 1, wherein the attachment means is attached to a lateral surface of the cavity that does not face the wearer.
 3. The protective equipment of claim 1, wherein the attachment means is attached to a bottom surface of the cavity that faces the wearer.
 4. The protective equipment of claim 1, wherein the attachment means is attached directly to the shock-absorbing liner within the cavity.
 5. The protective equipment of claim 1, further comprising an inner casing, said inner casing covering an external surface of the shock-absorbing liner facing the wearer.
 6. The protective equipment of claim 5, wherein the inner casing reduces the friction between the fitting liner of the helmet and the shock-absorbing liner.
 7. The protective equipment of claim 5, wherein the inner casing additionally covers at least a portion an internal surface of the shock-absorbing layer within the one or more cavities.
 8. The protective equipment of claim 7, wherein the attachment means is attached directly to the inner casing within the cavity.
 9. The protective equipment of claim 8, wherein the attachment means is connected to a lateral surface of the inner casing that does not face the wearer.
 10. The protective equipment of claim 8, wherein the attachment means is attached to a bottom surface of the inner casing facing the wearer.
 11. The protective equipment of claim 5, wherein the attachment means is attached to the fitting liner through an opening of the inner casing.
 12. The protective equipment of claim 1, wherein the one or more cavities form vents in the protective equipment for providing ventilation.
 13. The protective equipment of claim 1, wherein the attachment means is a hook-and-loop fastener, pin or rivet.
 14. The protective equipment of claim 1, further comprising an outer shell, lined by the shock-absorbing liner.
 15. The protective equipment of claim 1, wherein the protective equipment is a helmet.
 16. Protective equipment comprising: a shock-absorbing liner, the shock-absorbing liner comprising one or more cavities; an inner casing, said inner casing attached to and covering an external surface of the shock-absorbing liner facing the wearer, and wherein the inner casing conceals the one or more cavities.
 17. The protective equipment of claim 16, wherein a contact area between the external surface of the shock-absorbing liner facing the wearer and the inner casing is smaller than the surface area of the inner casing facing the shock-absorbing liner.
 18. The protective equipment of claim 16, wherein the wherein the inner casing additionally covers at least a portion an internal surface of the shock-absorbing layer within the one or more cavities.
 19. The protective equipment of claim 18, wherein the shock absorbing liner comprises one or more of a micro-cavity structure, a macro-cavity structure, open-cavities, closed-cavities, channels, a thin walled structure, a truss structure, an auxetic structure, an uneven or jagged surface, a foam structure, collapsible structures, honeycomb structures, gas-filled compartments.
 20. The protective equipment of claim 16, wherein the protective equipment is a helmet. 